『Falco x Fox』 The 100 one-shot challenge
by Imenereir
Summary: Right when they first met each other to their old-age, each one of the one-shot if a moment in their lives inspired by a list of one hundred previously gaven words. Every review and critique is welcome. This is not my first language, so please expect grammar errors. Translated from 『Falco x Fox』 El reto de los 100 one-shot, available on this web.
1. First impression

1- First impression

When he first entered that class he saw a student alone who was spending the recess at there. Fox's eyes stopped on him with curiosity and education, and his smile was kind, not sardonic or sarcastic. It was something that unsettled him, and part of his being wanted to punch him in the face because he was being so disgustingly kind.

-Hello, I'm Fox McCloud.  
-Lombardi. Falco.  
-Nice to meet you.

Falco let his school bag in the only free table, right in front of the fox, and shook his hand. He was a small guy with a normal hoodie, on jeans and sneakers. His brilliant green eyes he saw on no one before caught his attention. He told himself he was a handsome guy. He liked him. A lot.

The rest of them mocked him on the corridor. What the hell could he see on him that all the rest couldn't? On him an undesirable slum rat who shouldn't be there.

He took a look at the room, maybe they were twenty, twenty five students at max. The rest of it looked like a preppy high school.

-What are you doing here all by yourself? Aren't you gonna gossip with the rest of 'em?  
-Eh? With those posh guys? No way... They love to put people down. They even put each other down. They are not my kind of people...  
-I see...

Fox saw in Falco someone frank and different, it was something he liked among all those persons who smile at you and then stab you in the back. He went straight to the point, didn't care about nothing or no one, not even what others think about him. He admired him from the beginning. He would have liked being so self-confident and go through the corridor without having to feel afraid. He would have spent all his life looking at those blue eyes.

-Are there all like that?  
-Yeah. All of them. I'm sure they will come to laugh at you in no time, but don't pay attention to them, they do it all the time. They have been doing it to me for years.  
-Start a fight, then.  
-It's not worthy, I'm really comfy by the heater.  
-I feel ya! If they give you too much trouble tell me. I'll give them what they deserve.

Fox didn't like that as much.

-What?  
-Let's say I have a great creativity and an impressive insults collection. Stuff you learn on the street, y'know.

They laughed together as the bell rang. Fox felt there was a friend on him, and Falco felt that, at least, he could fit somewhere different that in a marginal slum.  
His class mates started to come back one by one, and all of them gossiped about the new one's looks like they used to do with all of them.

-Hey, new guy. Where are you from?

Falco took a quick look to that posh guy. A marmot or something. Is this the thing that comes to intimidate him? For real? A small group of people came to watch the scene.

-Zoness.  
-I heard you love to be gay at there.

People laughed.

-You also heard we love to bury corpses 'n trashing people? Cause if you never saw that I can offer you a demonstration any time you want.

The guy closed his mouth and went to his place. He didn't say a mean word to him anymore.  
The teacher closed the door behind her.

-Lombardi, in this high school is forbidden to threaten anyone. I know in Zoness you usually do it, but you are not in your turf anymore. This is not a game of yours.  
-You are dead meat, pal...  
-I was just telling... what was your name?  
-Lee.  
-Lee. I was telling my friend Lee something that happened to a friend of mine when they just transferred to my school. I am not one of those delinquents that just live to hit people. It is a complete lost of time.

It seems the teacher believed that and started the class. The very second she finished the lesson and went away, Fox turned away to speak to him.

-You are good.  
-If you had lived in my place you would have learn it quickly... I don't have this bandanna for nothing.

In the second recess a guy who was kinda older than him approached. He offered his hand directly.  
-Bulldog.  
-Lombardi.  
-Zoness, right?  
-Aha.  
-Hot Rodders?  
-That's right.  
-I'm a friend of one of yours.  
-I understand...  
-You left?  
-They needed it.  
-What are you doing here? You can fly already, and even better than the rest.  
-I have my reasons and I'm not sharing 'em.  
-You need a gang?  
-Not now. I wanna see how people is around here first.  
-Clever boy. Don't be fooled, the rich guys aren't friends, they wear masks.  
-Do I have to remind you where I come from?

He smiled at him.

-The were right when they told me about ya.  
-What did they say?  
-That you're good living in hostile environments... You are McCloud's friend?  
-That fox from my class? That's the only one worthy here.  
-You know who's his father, right?  
-Maybe McCloud?  
-What a guy! You always have an answer, isn't it? He's James McCloud's son.  
-Yeah, I've heard 'bout him.  
-Well, I gotta go. They are waiting for me. Nice to meet you, man.  
-Same.

Falco can see him going away. James McCloud? That was StarFox's leader, that team that saves the galaxy when there is any invasion attempt. A hard job, but maybe even worst for his son. Your father going to war, and who knows if that's the last time you are seeing him.  
He returns to class, but he's not there. He throws his bag on the table and takes out his agenda. Fox McCloud, huh? He should have known, that's not a family name you hear every day.

-Hey, you are here! I've been looking for you. It's incredible, no one gave you a tour around the school yet. At the end of the corridor there's a vending machine with pens, correcting tape, paper handkerchiefs and stuff. It's the most useful thing you'll find around here. Ah, and sugary cereals at the cafeteria are marked with a red line. And for the love of everything, don't eat the grapefruit. It's horrible.

Fox sits again. He brought a sweets bag too.

-You want some?  
-No, thanks.  
-You're welcome.

The bird looks at him again. It's and incredible thing this is James McCloud's son, he looks like he harmed no one in his life and didn't even try to kill a fly. He takes a look outside again where a military ship is landing.

Impossible. It's impossible this saint of a kid would be his son.

-I've never met someone from Zoness.  
-Now you do.  
-It isn't true you go hitting people, right?  
-Just between gangs. Turf stuff 'n' that.  
-Ah.

Fox gets comfortable in his seat and briefly looks at him. It's impossible that Falco has ever done that even once. Or that's what he thinks. Or that's what he wishes, of course. He swallows the gummy brick he has in his mouth and puts on it a flavored chew.

-Are you sure you don't want any of these?  
-Are you deaf, kid? No. If I want some, I'll buy 'em.  
-I was just trying to be kind.  
-With me? Why? Cause I look like a poor boy or cause I'm the new one?  
-Cause I like you.  
-Heh. You don't even know me. You befriend people too quickly, McCloud.  
-Just call me Fox, please.  
-Fox, then. You met me two second ago. We aren't friends.  
-There's no need to get defensive like that.  
-I get defensive if I want. You don't give me orders.

Fox sighs, shakes his head and puts other sweet in his mouth.

-I have the feeling this is going to be a long conversation...  
-Oh, c'mon! Just shut up!


	2. Beautiful

2- Beautiful

Falco is always the first in waking up, hugging a warm and soft Fox who breathes deeply.  
He treasures those moments every day, sometimes without opening his eyes, others with his head on his back listening the beats of that strong heart.

To Falco, each of those moments is absolutely beautiful.  
When Fox wakes up the only thing that lights the room is the orange lamp at his back and the reflections of the furniture can be noticed in his eyes. To Falco, all of Fox, everything Fox does, everything Fox says, it's beautiful.  
To Fox, all of Falco, everything Falco does, everything Falco says, it's beautiful.

The fox always closes his eyes and lets the pheasant kiss him without a hurry, still sleepy.

-How did you sleep today, Foxy?  
-Great.

Then he will caress him still covered with the mattress, he will lie down again, rest his head on the top of him and hug him again. It's like a ritual none of them had previously agreed on, it happened to settle itself on them little by little.

-Would you like to have chocolate with your milk for breakfast?  
-Of course.

Falco will prepare it while Fox will get asleep again because of the warmth, so he will bring his breakfast to bed. He should go help him, he knows that so well, yet it's so comfortable... And after putting the tray in the bed table for his boyfriend he will get in bed again, trembling because of the cold. It's way better to be by his side.

While the fox eats marmalade with his toast, milk and chocolate, fruit and other things more, at that hour in the morning the bird feels it's almost impossible for him to do so. He will drink the cocoa while touching his hand and caressing it tenderly.

Since they always get up with more than enough time it will still be some left to stay there doing nothing, just letting themselves be, hugging each other, relaxing. A long day waits for him, and they want to start it will just in case it's the only good moment they have until returning to bed.

-Fox, don't fall asleep, huh?  
-No...  
-You were falling asleep again.  
-That's not true...  
-Open your eyes, you lazy!  
-Just five more minutes...  
-You can't be helped. Don't fall asleep I tell you!  
-Falco.  
-What?  
-You are great.  
-You too. C'mon! Move your ass from the bed! There's a lot to do... Fox, don't sleep again! You goddamned lazy ass! You really can't be helped!


	3. Mock

The two boys had become great friends in little time, something the gossiping preppies loved.

Every morning it was the same thing in the corridors and Fox was starting to get tired of it. He could just have the hope to move to the accademy quickly after this year. That was his objetive from second one.

-There are scholarships and such, you say?  
-Yeah, there are scholarships to live at there and all. I would love to become someone like my father.  
-Of course. It has to be awesome going through space shooting delinquents and destroying meteorites. And they surely even get tons of money!

Falco grabs the chips bag from the vending machine and offers him some. He kindly rejects them as he chugs on his cola. Oh, he would so punch for being so kind.

-What, Lombardi? Now you wanna be a columbine?

Falco looks at the preppy guy down.

-Hah. I aint gonna be a drowsy duck like you did at the ball. Get out.  
-Wooow, look out! When is the wedding gonna be, you couple of fags?  
-Which one? Your father's one with the bitches he gets in bed with, or your mom's one with the neighbour?  
-You better take out what you said!  
-Yeah, that's what he says when he enters the brothel, take it out. Maybe you father is into guys at the end too and you don't know it.  
-...I'll wait for you at the entrance when class ends.  
-You gonna ask me out? Oh that's so cute! I'm sorry, you are not my kind of guy.  
-You'll regret this...

Falco sees him going out and Fox fowned.

-What's wrong with that guy?  
-Don't know! But hey, screw him. You said that Slippy guy is coming to the academy too?  
-Yeah, he's coming too, but he likes the technological part better than the pilot one.  
-In facs they told me he really fucked the access test up.  
-Yes. Poor guy!  
-I like him, put he's a real mess when it comes to piloting, like a danger, you know?  
-Yeah, yeah, but he ain't useless. Slippy is a great mechanic for his age and his father also works in those ship things, and the inventions...

Falco pretends to pay attention as he ate another chip. Does he never shut up? And from the front corridor Slippy is approaching holding machinery books and speaking with his father.

* * *

Aproximately at two o'clock the fire alarm goes off and Falco, who was sleeping on the dashboard, suddenly wakes up. The maths teacher puts an annoyed look on his face and orders his students to close the windows and lower the shutters. He also says not to pick their objects, but the pheasant refuses to leave his bag alone. Lazily, he swings it so it sets on his shoulder and waits on the queue to leave class in order.

-You didn't forget about our date, right, handsome?  
-I would hit your face right here, Lombardi, but I don't want to get my hands dirty.  
-Right, and you woulnd't care if it is out of here, where there's more mud and dirt.  
-You are the dirt in this school. You weren't supposed to be here in first place. This is not for the poor, Lombardi.  
-You give lessons on how to insult in a prestigious private academy too? Cause it's obvious daddy paid for your grades so you would pass. I could pay to pass with A, but I like to use somethin' called brain. That's the thing on your skull. You know what a skull is, or daddy paid that grade so you would pass too?

He goes agains him, Falco stops him with his fists. The teacher screams at the boy and separates him from him.

-I swear I'll kill you, you fucking rat! Let me go! I will break your face, you idiotic bird!  
-That's more than enough, Dean! As soon as the evacuation finishes and we can go back you are going to see the principal!  
-It was him! It's him who shouldn't be here! There's no way I'm going the principal, it's that bird the one that should have to go!  
-Enough! That's enough! Start walking in front of me and we'll see what are we doing with you later. Let's go, kids! I hate when this happens and I can't teach the lessson...

Falco smiles. It wouldn't have been clever to fight him now. He makes his neck creak and follows the rest. Even if they tell them to shut up the students keep speaking. Fox moves his ears to the direction of the sound to listen better.

-They say they were the fourth year students, today they had an exam and they decided to set the bathroom on fire.  
-Don't be so loud, they will hear it!

Then, he looks in front of him, where some students separate them from the pheasant. There are things he doesn't like about him, others he likes. He isn't sure if today he had a good behaviour or not.

They reach the reunion point, the teachers check if any of them is missing. Fox approaches him and touches his shoulder, he lowers his head to look at him in the eyes.

-What did he say to you?  
-A lil bit of everything. He thinks he has more right to be here than me to be here cause his father has money. Well, he's gonna eat my dick.  
-He said that?  
-Yeah. Maybe I don't have a father with money but I have a brain. No one gave me a vacant here as a gift, I did it for myself.  
-You know? I hate them. I don't know how the teachers can work here without getting sick of everything.  
-They pay 'em to be here, and they pay them well. If I had the money they have I would buy the best ship in the galaxy and I would become a bouty hunter. That's all.  
-You hate them too..  
-For sure.  
-Attention, students!

Fox y Falco look at the principal far away from them. The firefighters can be heard in the distance.

-Due to the fire we'll end the lessons here today. No one is missing. You can go home... Except for you, Dean.  
-Fuck!

Falco laughs again and goes with Fox to the parking lot. The fox looks around for a certain car.

-Aren't you afraid?  
-No. What I'm afraid of is not being able to eat tomorrow.

The fox looks at his father who smiles and waves at him from the car. Fox smiles and does the same.

-C'mon, go away. See ya tomorrow.  
-Falco, what you mean...?  
-See ya! -He screams at him and going away.


	4. Smile

**4- Smile**

The pheasant reminds him with little things everyday how much he loves him. Fox can't stop smiling all day.

Maybe it's a capuccino glass with cream and chocolate chips, or maybe he gets asleep in the sofa and he bundles him up. Maybe he puts some more cheese and oregan on his pizza or he guides him by his hand to a new place where there are tons of trees. Those are not expensive gifts, yet they are big and they make him happy.

Fox's smile is bright and contagious. He likes it when he smiles when he's serious and concentrated thinking on something he has been brooding over for a long time.

Falco always smiles unless someone gets on his nerves. It doesn't matter if he's relaxing on his chair on the ship, driving or sleeping, he always smiles. Acording the Fox, it makes him look even stronger. When he doesn't smile it's because he's concentrating or because something doesn't give him a good feeling. He doesn't do it either when he's sleepy and he even becomes unbereable sometimes.

When the pheasant met Fox he smiled at him and sometimes he still wants to punch him in the face when he is that cute.

There are really difficult days for the fox when he walks by Falco's hand down the street. Corneria still is very homophobe and there are times when a simple walk or gesture of love unleashes a hate wave among it's citizens. Then, wnen he goes home, Fox wears his smile off and he breaks down. He knows by experience that fights are hard: againts great enemies, a loss or social conventionalisms. He knows with those geastures he's cheering millions of persons down but that doesn't mean it doesn't harm him either. Then, the bird is the one whom makes happiness come back to him and he's still not capable of knowing how, but he always does it and ends up smiling and loving him even more than before.

Maybe he's magic, or like some kind of drug. He has something speciall. Sometimes he realizes he's absort, looking at him. If Falco looks at him while he's watching him he approaches him to kiss him.

They shouldn't, they say to them constantly, but the don't want to censore themselves. They don't want to thow away their love and smiles when the world is in danger and you can see violence yet no love.

Fox feels brave loving him, because this, like being a mercenary, not everyone can handle it. His smile is stronger than missiles, freighters and submarines altogether. He causes love and hate equally. It takes down fundations and raises passion and makes the hearts of the persons that had forgotten what loving is beat again. It makes the kids smile when they come to them to make one and a thousen questions about theis adventures, how strong and tall he is, even if he is not as strong or tall as they think.

With that simple gesture Fox says everything, as if he doesn't give up and kept fighting.

That asshole of a Fox, as Falco calls him, is like a cluster bomb that acts slowly. Like a war, trying to see who's the last one standing.

The one that can wipe his smile will kill him. But he will always be there to revive him.


	5. Feather

**5- Feather**

A feather.

In his world, no one pays attention to a feather due to a big part of the population being birds. Yet, at night, when Falco carreses him with each and everyone of them and he can feel them against his body, warm, the fox pays as much attention to them as if they were thousands of jewels.

The softness of his body is one of the things he's addicted to now. The way in which he slides his wings, slowly, on his back at night. The bright blue in most of his plumage, the warmth on winter of his naked body.

Sometimes one of them falls and for some days Fox spends his time playing with them. Shiny, blue, soft and light, they tickle his body and he hides on them when Falco and him make love.

Today Fox found one on his bed when he was making coffee, being sure he didn't pick it up on purpose just so he would have it. He didn't say anything when he woke up and went to hug him with it on his fingers while he was putting sugar on their cups.

-Good morning, darling.

-Hey, you lil' one. This is a miracle! It's not time for you to wake up yet.

-It's eleven o'clock...

He gives him a little kiss on his back letting he be and he picks up some plates from the counter.

-Were you cold at night? I've heard we were at ten degrees below zero. It was a glade, or something...

-I wasn't cold. Someone hugh me and approached me to them when I was trembling. They also left me this on the mattress.

-Yeah? Maybe it was Cupid, yeah?

-Sure. Or the man who brought me from the sofa to the bed when I fell asleep.

-It's disgusting how a baby on diapers carries you from the sofa to the bed.

Falco leaves the coffee on the table and looks at him, content.

-Oh, c'mon, Falco. Don't be silly...

He caresses his face unavoidably. He ruffles his hair a little and he knows he's going to style his crest as a reflex reaction. Soft, they smell like apricot. He can feel him moving a bit, his eyes closed. If he keeps at it he will make him enter a trance, an state of absolute tranquility.

-Hey... -He replies softly. -Don't do this to me, Foxie...

-Why? Don't you like it when I nuzzle you?

-Of course I like it... But I'm too lazy to put my feathers on place again.

He leaves him alone and Falco combs his feathers again, still asleep. Fox then laughs hoping he will not find a mirror on his way. One of them is as rebel as him and it stays misplaced on his crest shiny and dense.

-Did you sleep well?

-Yeah, but I'm still a little tired.

-It's always the same with you. If you hadn't stayed up all night watching TV you wouldn't be sleepy now.

-The movie was good.

-Sure, and the tarot program afterwards too, isn't it?

Fox laughs and plays with the feather. He lets his elbows on the table and looks at it closely, running his fingers through it.

-I would love to have feathers and be warm at night.

-Its not bad, but if a frost falls upon you it kills you.

-Thats the reason you hate Fichinina?

-Snow gets under yor feathers, it melts, it gets frost and lowers your temperature. And then you die.

-Yeah, don't remind me that.

The canid tries not to think on that mission on Fichina that even if they accomplished had terrible consequences for Falco.

-Even so... It would be great. Having bright plumage and wings-

-And claws. Good luck on finding shoes. The majority here have paws and to find some sneakers that fit you you gotta visit eight hundred stores. But I would not change it for anything.

-To be honest, I love it. -He adds softly. -A warm wind at night as a blanket. And the other one as a pillow. Perfect.

-Yeah, yeah, right. -Fox can't see it, but Falco blushes. -You have plenty of nerve.

The fox raises the feather so it is against the light and he can see different blue tones and ramifications. He knows the pheasant is green and red too, sometimes his colours change with his diet, but he never saw them so blue. Falco raises his eyebrows. Fox is wild. Suddenly a hands takes his toy out.

-Don't play on the kitchen.

-Hey! It's mine!

-No way. C'mon, now eat breakfast. I'll give it back later.


	6. Joking

**6- Joking**

One of the things that characterize the pheasant is that both on land and on air he can't stop joking. His accent and sarcasm gaves him the perfect base to mock and joke as much as he wants and about everything he wants. Because of it, each day, he does it as much as he can or even more.

Fox reaches the control room on the Great Fox way more late than regular today. He got tired by training too much.

-Hi, Fox. You wake up with the first rays of the sun, hey? The rest have been having breakfast for some hours now.  
-Good morning to you too.

He aproaches the controls of the ship. Commonly, Peppy or ROB whould drive it, but sometmes he feels like taking control of ships of this size even if they are not so fast and manoeuvrable.

-What's with that face? If you told me you are a zombie I would believe you!  
-Thanks, you are really kind. Where's my good morning kiss?  
-I don't know, maybe I dropped it when I came here. Let me look for it.

Falco pretends to look under the seat and Fox rolls his eyes smiling. Today they are stopping to refuel on MacBeth for sure.

-I gotta write the grocery list for everyone. You want something special?  
-One of those bags of gummies that are soft squares, or something like that. Those that taste like fruits and come with wraps of various colors.  
-Yeah, I know. I used to love them when I was a kid.  
-And I love them,just like that. Now that I think 'bout it, add to the cart three or four of those. And peanuts. Or pistachios. Or sunflower seeds. Nuts. That's all.  
-You don't want anything else? Well, ok. But we sure aren't making any stop in a week. 

He rests all his weight in the seat.

-I know you are bringing the rest of the stuff I need.  
-Of course I will.  
-Bring some gelatine too if you want. Kiwi gelatine.  
-Like, the bird kind?  
-I would peck your head, but I'm driving. Just pretend I did.  
-Oh, no! My head! Noooo! -He fakes, falling to the ground like if he really did hit him.  
-You are gonna sweep the floor on you knees? Are we so poor we don't have a vacuum?  
-No, I just like being at your feet.  
-Of course you like being at the feet of someone as clever and handsome as me!  
-Wow, look how modest you are!  
-Are dragging your ass on the floor too?  
-Maybe I'll drag your face.  
-I'll scratch it.  
-Oh, I can live with that.  
-Yeah. Whatever. If those keep having breakfast at that speed I'm sure they get to the next morning without sleeping or finishing it.  
-They'll sleep on the table.  
-Disgusting...  
-Land perfectly. I don't want to see a single scratch on the exterior of the ship.  
-But you don't care of the inside, right?  
-And remember to land with care and love.  
-You want me to land you on the sea with care and love, Fox?  
-And line it up well with the parking marks.  
-I'm gonna land your face if you don't go away! Go drink some coffee and toast, c'mon! And go wash your face before Slippy freaks out!  
-What do I have to freak out for...? AAAAAAAAAAH! PEPPY! THEY ARE INVADING US!  
-Oh, God...  
-I told ya so! - He laughs, parking the ship with love and care and lined up with the marks of the parking space for ships and freighters.


End file.
